Tabor Arts Showcase

— 31st October 2013 —

In July, I was delighted to be asked to step in as guest lecturer for second semester Dramatic Arts and Communication at Tabor College Victoria - a theological college based in Mulgrave (that's Zone Two for those playing at home).

On Monday 28 October, the college hosted an end of year Arts Showcase featuring work from the creative and visual arts classes. From paintings and photography to spoken word poetry and theatre performance, the showcase was a celebration of expression from across the campus.

My role was to oversee the production phase for an original ensemble work entitled ‘The Trouble With More’. The play centred on the effects of social media and technology and the students explored what impact these inventions have had on us as human beings. So often we are torn between rejoicing that we’re more ‘connected’ than ever, and lamenting the fact that these connections are less valuable, honest and meaningful than we would care to admit. We were made for more!

Social media has had an impact on the way we interact, our vocabulary, our worth and our sense of identity. ‘The Trouble with More’ made subtle comments on these issues through the use of storytelling, characterisation and satire. In this way theatre is an incredibly effective communication tool, a vital and powerful form of expression that allows us to hold a mirror to the world around us. The strength and power of theatre lies in its ability to question without always providing answers, to comment without preaching, and to show or suggest rather than simply tell.

In addition to performance roles, each member of the ensemble was also assigned a production role (Production Manager, Stage Manager, Designer, Publicist). Throughout the semester we held production and planning meetings to ensure that all elements of the production were being covered, from technical requirements to costume and prop sourcing, marketing plans to budgets. There is more to dramatic arts than being creative or outgoing! Theatre making demands life skills such as organisation, problem solving and the ability to work as a team. I was proud of my students for having devised and performed an entertaining and thought provoking piece of theatre. I enjoyed seeing them work together in the rehearsal room and I loved seeing them perform for a live audience. However, the best part was hearing them chattering away in the foyer to family and friends after the show about their newfound confidence. The arts are alive and well at Tabor. What a privilege it is to have played a small part in that…

Show time!

— 26th October 2013 —

- BREAKING NEWS -

Thank you for holding. We have some exciting news! The songs of Reception: The Musical will be performed at the 2013 Spring Arts Festival in Mansfield, Victoria.

Keeping it Brief

— 15th October 2013 —

One of the headline theatre shows at this year’s Melbourne Festival is Brief Encounter – Noel Cowards classic film of romance and longing adapted for the stage by Emma Rice.

The show oozes with Kneehigh Theatre Company’s trademark imaginative performance. A hit on the West End and Broadway, the Australian tour of Brief Encounter features our own Michelle Nightingale in the lead role of Laura.